October 25, Colombo (LNW): A new assessment by the World Bank has revealed a dramatic surge in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) expertise across South Asia, with Sri Lanka emerging among the most affected nations.
The report indicates that from January 2023 to March 2025, the proportion of AI-linked job advertisements in the region more than doubled—from 2.9 per cent to 6.5 per cent—signalling a profound shift in the regional labour market. This surge in demand for AI-related roles is estimated to be expanding nearly 75 per cent faster than non-AI job categories.
According to the findings, roughly one in five jobs in South Asia—around 22 per cent—are now considered to have some level of AI exposure. Encouragingly, a majority of these roles, approximately 70 per cent, are categorised as “AI-complementary,” suggesting that automation is more likely to enhance rather than replace human work. Occupations such as educators, legal professionals, architects, and research specialists are among those expected to benefit most from AI-assisted productivity.
However, the study also points to a smaller yet significant segment—around 7 per cent of jobs—that faces a high risk of displacement. These include repetitive or process-driven roles such as customer service representatives, accountants, and text proofreaders, all of which have already seen a reduction in new vacancies since the emergence of advanced generative AI systems like ChatGPT.
While the World Bank acknowledges the potential for AI to accelerate innovation and efficiency, it warns that South Asia lags behind other regions in preparing its workforce for the technological transition. Persistent challenges in digital infrastructure, limited access to advanced training, and slow policy adaptation are cited as key obstacles preventing countries from fully capitalising on AI’s benefits.
The report further highlights notable variations within the region. Nepal has the lowest level of AI exposure, whereas Bhutan and Sri Lanka show the highest, largely due to their comparatively skilled and better-educated labour forces.
Interestingly, AI-related occupations—often higher-paying and more knowledge-intensive—account for an estimated 42 per cent of total wage earnings in these nations, underscoring the growing importance of digital and analytical competencies in securing economic mobility.
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